Gia Sharda
Navan
“They believe in you even when you don't believe in yourself.”
Gia Sharda has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing the 100 most exceptional leaders and practitioners in talent acquisition. Honorees are selected by the Talent 100 committee from thousands of nominations and candidates across the industry, chosen for the impact of their work, the depth of their craft, and their influence on the future of recruiting. This is Gia's story.
Gia Sharda didn't set out to build a career in talent acquisition, but a lunchtime friendship and a product that needed engineers changed everything. She began in sales, armed with a bachelor's degree in computer information systems and economics, at an enterprise company building software products.
The team needed engineers, and it needed them quickly, if it was going to keep up with the CEO's requests for the product. On her lunch breaks, Sharda would walk across to an agency called HLIO, where she struck up a friendship with a recruiter named Dave Dixon. Learning about what recruiting actually meant intrigued her, and the curiosity turned practical soon enough: her company began using his services to hire the engineers it was short of.
A Deliberate Return
Then came graduate school, and a master's degree in management information systems. Sharda returned to the workforce during the worst economic times, and the same CEO asked her to come back.
By then, she had realized something important. Recruitment was the part of the business that intrigued her most, so rather than drift back into her old lane, she joined an agency to formally learn the art and the science behind it. She loved every bit of it, and she never turned back.
Learning From Great Leaders
Sharda credits several mentors and bosses across her recruitment journey, including one leader she worked with for more than ten years. What she loved most about them was how they led with trust. They empowered their teams and focused on strengths rather than weaknesses, and they created the room for creativity to show up in the work.
They gave her the landscape for driving initiatives and acted as player coaches, showing her the ropes without ever micromanaging the outcome. They led with data and stayed logical about how results were achieved, while guiding with optimism, positivity, and psychological safety. Encouragement came at every turn.
"They believe in you even at times when sometimes you don't believe in yourself," she says. When her own faith wavered, they were the ones who knew she could do better, and they always led with positivity and encouragement.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Gia. We are honored to welcome Gia Sharda to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Gia. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.
